


Plenty of Potential

by OrionMoka



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Crack, M/M, WTF, What Have I Done, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 10:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13522818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionMoka/pseuds/OrionMoka
Summary: Don't even ask yo.





	Plenty of Potential

        Cloud Strife had stood out from the moment he entered the program. The guy was smaller, looked younger, and had more attitude than the lot of them combined. He wasn’t arrogant, he owned up to his mistakes and worked his ass off, that’s for sure, but he was bold and  _ sassy _ . He was also attractive as fuck and didn’t seem to care, which all made him a pretty easy target. They’d nicknamed him  _ Sour Little Lemon Drop _ , shortened to  _ SLLD _ , and then to  _ Solid _ once they paid closer attention to his work ethic. Sounded close enough.

        He stood out though, and that meant he got picked on endlessly. It started with snide remarks. Cruel things muttered when the instructors weren’t paying attention. Then it was shoves and manhandling during drills, because they could literally push him around or pick him up without much effort, when they could catch him. He was hella fast and they knew it, but he rarely bothered using that speed. That was the first thing that didn’t sit quite right with the cadets. He didn’t seem bothered by anything they did because despite being smaller, physically weaker, he had  _ confidence.  _ They’d shove stuff in his locker, trip him in the halls, blame all the accidents on him and more because they  _ could, _ and just to see how much they’d get away with. It was childish, but they were all teenagers. That was expected.

        When they mocked him for wanting to train with larger swords, he said he was used to handling  _ large swords. _ But the way he said it- they couldn’t take him seriously.

        It escalated from there into taking his clothes when he showered, mocking him for always taking one of the private stalls to close himself in. They’d just assumed he was shy about his body, the only thing they’d kept out of their antics. He’d have to get over it anyway. And they’d all seen each other scrubbing down after drills before. Except Strife.

        They’d joked about how small his dick might be, wondered if the curtains down there matched the drapes on his head. So when someone finally had the balls to yank his towel away when he stepped out of his stall, they were all watching. 

        They knew now, his blond was natural. They also knew a couple of other things, alongside the fact the Cloud was fucking adorable when he blushed.

        The one holding his towel, and everyone else in the shower rooms, were frozen in shock until someone managed to blurt the phrase out. It started a whole slew of shouts trying to organise themselves. 

        “Fucking bahamut, Solid! Dibbs on first ride!”

**oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo**

        “Oh  _ lots _ of potential in this year’s group Boss,  _ lots.  _ Solid in particular yo. Thought he was real suspicious at first but I get it now,” there was an unusually satisfied expression on Reno’s face. And-

        “Reno, why are you limping?” Tseng asked, only now noticing the red-heads struggling as they walked into his office. He’d sent the younger Turk down to observe the cadets for potential recruiting. “And I approve cadet files, there is no one with the name Solid. I assume this is a nickname?” an eyebrow rose as he sat at his desk to pull up cadet files on his laptop.

        “What? Oh! Yeah, Strife, Cloud Strife yo. They call him Solid,” Reno sniggered. Tseng could feel the oncoming headache. Strife was the small one, if he recalled correctly. He’d almost denied the application for him, but the Science Department flagged his file for interest based on his hometown, Nibelheim, and Hojo had suggested they let him through.

        “What, pray tell, made you suspicious of  _ this?” _ he spun his laptop around, Strife’s profile on the screen. He couldn’t see anything suspicious in the information provided there.

        “Ya see, they were all followin ‘im, like… what’s that word…. Deferential? Yeah! Practically taking orders from ‘im, this little blond pipsqueak! So I’s thought alright, let’s hear what this’s all about now,” Reno adjusted his goggles in his hair. “When I asked ‘em tho, they just look at Soli- err, Strife, and he fuckin’ winks at ‘em. Then lo and behold they go off and distract the instructor like a wink was some kin’a secret signal, and Blondie drags me outta th’ room-”

        “You let an unarmed teenager drag you-”

        “Don interrupt my story Bossman! Just getting to the good part! So’s anyway, we end up in one’a them gigantic janitor’s closet, cause the janitors gave him the codes,” Tseng was regretting sending Reno for this. Should have sent Rude… “And oh my god Tseng, he’s got like,  _ the best _ interrogation tool ever. We  _ can’t _ let those SOLDIER-boys hav’im. Fuck nah, in fact, I’mma go distract Zack from him. But seriously yo, floor 19, closet at the end of the gym hall. Check the vids,” Reno wobbled out of his room, grinning ear to ear all the while.

        Tseng did check the video footage, seeing as his Second In Command had been rather uninformative. 

        He agreed immediately Cadet Strife had _plenty_ of potential. In fact, he decided, he’d like to evaluate that interrogation technique  _ immediately _ . In  _ person. _

**oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo**

        Genesis had been hearing rumors lately, stirrings, of something he refused to believe. How on earth  _ cadets _ were making comparisons to the First Class he didn’t know, it’s not like that was common knowledge. But that  _ anyone _ was larger than Angeal and Sephiroth- the thoughts dropped as he looked at his PHS. An anonymous post on the SHINRA servers, with a single picture.

        Oh. This, he just  _ had _ to see in person. To make sure it wasn’t photoshopped, of course. And to make sure it was real. Fully functional and all. He cleared his schedule. He absolutely  _ had _ to find out who this  _ Solid _ was. He’d see if Tseng knew anything.

**oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo**

        “I’m telling you Geal, the cadets are completely under his thumb! Yeah! That little blond guy you saw at the acceptance ceremony! He’s the fucking leader, I swear it’s like a gigantic gang of some kind!”

        “I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation Zack. Maybe he’s charismatic, you were that was a cadet-”

        “Do you  _ remember _ what he looks like Geal? No amount of charisma gets someone like that out of being bullied-”

        “ _ Hellooo _ Angeal, Puppy,” Genesis came in with a pleased smile and a slight staggering in his usually graceful walk. “I’ve just experienced the true Gift of the Goddess,” he leaned over Zack’s shoulder, showing him his PHS screen with a new photo a the background.

        “Holy fu- who is this?! How did you even get this pict-” Zack stopped mid sentence, turning to Genesis wide eyed. “You didn’t! You  _did!_ With _ out  _ me!? How could you?”

        “Gen, what did you just show hi- Oh, wow. That’s a very large-”

        “Mmm hmmm, it is. Went for a  _ wonderful _ ride today. But the Turks have their eyes on him, we need to act fast.”

        “How do the Turks even know-”

        “He’s right Geal! You need to tell Seph right away! I have to go check something~” Zack sang and darted out of the apartment. There was only one person he’d seen with hair that would match that shade.

**oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo~oOo**

        “General?” Kunsel asked cautiously as Sephiroth strode into the cadet gym he’d been teaching in.

        “Excuse the intrusion, SOLDIER. I require Cadet Strife’s company immediately.”

        “Oh, yes, of course,” he shot Sephiroth a knowing grin. “ _ Solid! _ _Come to the front_!” he shouted to the pack. He was only a _little_ surprised when Sephiroth picked the blond up and tossed him over his shoulder, marching out of the room. He was met with cheers as he turned back to the remaining cadets. "Yet another man converted to the Lemon Brigade."


End file.
